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By Sgt. James Geelen, 4th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
FORT CARSON, Colo. —Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRN) are measures in situations where hazards or threats may be present. CBRN specialists are primarily responsible for defending the country against the threat of weapons of mass destruction.
Recently the CBRN Soldiers of the 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, conducted scenarios to familiarize themselves with decontaminating personnel and equipment.
“We hope to never (have to) use our skillset,” said Capt. Oliver Klein, brigade CBRN officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Special Troops Battalion, 4th SB. “But in the eventuality, this training builds readiness to allow the sustainment brigade to operate in any environment. This shows that we’re capable of supporting any mission, anywhere in the world.”
The Soldiers learned how to set up and use the Joint Service Transportable Decontamination System (JSTDS), which is a lightweight, transportable decontamination system.
“This system helps Soldiers to decontaminate vehicles that were possibly exposed to chemical weapons or were maneuvering through a contaminated area,” Klein said. “We can effectively inspect and secure a vehicle in six minutes when everything is set up and working smoothly.”
The Soldiers were grateful for the chance to test their skills and add to their repertoire.
“Anytime that you can get out of the classroom and do hands-on training, makes for a good day,” said Sgt. Wyatt Tomko, 230th Finance Management Support Unit, 4th STB, 4th SB. “Even though I’m getting ready to transition to Fort Irwin, California, I’m glad that I had the opportunity to attend this training.”
The ability to decontaminate vehicles is very important to a sustainment unit.
“Going through all of this training today was a great learning experience,” said Pvt. Hector Olague, CBRN specialist, 115th Quartermaster Field Feeding Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th SB. “I hope that we can showcase our knowledge during the next field training exercise.”